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4 P. W. OFELDT.

VAPOR ENGINE.

No. 538,694. Patented May 7, 1895.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2. F. W. OPELDT.

I VAPOR ENGiNE. No. 538,694. Patented May 7, 1895.

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VAPOR ENGINE.

No. 538,694. Patented May 7, 1895.

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VAPOR ENGINE.

No. 538,694. Patented May '7, 1895.

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FRANK WV. OFELDT, OF JERSEY CIT Y, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MARINE VAPOR ENGINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VAPOR-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,694, dated May 7, 1 895. Application filed December 21, 1893. I Serial No. 494.3 (No modem To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK W. OFELDT, of

Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in vapor engines, the object being to provide a compact and light running engine more particularly adapted for use in connection with launches in which vapor is used as the motive power.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one high-pressure and one low-press-' ure cylinder. Fig. at is a section taken at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views.

A represents the trunk of the engine and B, O, and B, O are high and low pressure cylinders arranged as shown,,a high and low pressure cylinder lying side by side and preferably integral with each other and the two sets of cylinders extending out at an angle to each other, usually at right angles to each other as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In these cylinders pistons b, c and b, c are respectively fitted and adapted to reciprocate. These pistons are connected by means of piston rods D, D, to the cranks D, D on the main crank shaft E. A valve-box F extends transversely across the outer head of each pair of cylinders the heads and valve box being preferably in-] tegral and portsf and g are formed in the outer heads of the cylinders for the passage of vapor underthe control of the valve therein to the high pressure cylinders, from the high pressure cylinders to the low pressure cylinders and from the low pressure cylinders to the exhaust and thence preferably to a condenser (not shown). 7

The valves G G, are both just alike and only one need be described. These valves are fitted in their respective valve boxes and are adapted to be rocked back and forth axially therein. These valves are each provided with a crank arm H secured on the outer end of the stem G of the valve. Piston rods h h extend from these cranks to a strap head J, the rod It being secured thereto and the rod h hinged thereto to allow for the motion which must take place in the strap head. The strap head is fitted to an eccentric K keyed on the extensible portion E of the main crank shaft E, so that the valves are controlled in the usual manner by the rocking motion of the main shaft. Just in this connection it may be stated that the portion E of the shaft E is capable of being moved endwise relative to the main shaft E whereby it is rocked axially to reverse the engine and to this end the portion E is provided with a spiral groove 8' and the main portion of the shaft E with the groove to cause the portion E to turn relative to the main portion of the shaft E as the portion E is shifted endwise. This movable portion is provided with a key Z which extends into a groove e in the eccentric K and its hub in which it slides as it is turned and in this manner the reversing of the valves is accomplished. The outer end of the portion E has a rack E thereon and a lever E fulcrumed in. proximity thereto is provided with a toothed segment e the teeth of which engage the rack teeth for the purpose of sliding portion E endwise.

The valve G itself is fitted to the bored out center of the valve box whereby it may be rocked freely therein. The supply port 9 receives the vapor'from'the generator and a portfleading through the head of the high pressure cylinder conducts vapor from this supply port into the outer end of'the high pressure cylinder when the valve is' rocked over far enough to establish this communication. A port gleading into the low pressure cylinder is adapted to receive the vapor exhausted fromthe high pressure cylinder and communication between the two is established through the port g of the valve-Grand the exhaust from the low pressure cylinder to the condenser or other place iseffected through this port g when the latter is rocked into the proper position for this exhaust. So in the operation of the valve or valves, vapor is first ICO admitted simultaneously on the two high pressure pistons through the ports f, f, the high pressure pistons being forced inward thereby. The valves then rock so as to establish communication between the ports f and 9 through the port g so that the vapor which has done its Work upon the high pressure pistons is exhausted upon the low pressure pistons. When the valves rock back again the supply port g is made to communicate with the portf leading into the high pressure cylinder and the portg in communication with the exhaust, so that when vapor is being conducted to the high pressure cylinder vapor is being discharged from the low pressure cylinder and when the vapor is being conducted from one cylinder to the other the supply and exhaust are cut off.

It frequently happens that when the engine is stopped the valves G G are in such position that some provision has to be made whereby to introduce the vapor on the right piston to start the engine in the right direction. This I accomplish by means of a by-pass L in which is placed a valve M. This by-pass leads from the valve box into the head of the cylinder and the valve operates in it to open and close it and the by-pass leads from the box at a point where the vapor supply port is always in communication with it no matter what the position of the valve. In this way before the valve G is in operation by simply opening the valve M vapor is allowed to follow the by-pass L and act upon one of the low pressure pistons or on one of the high pressure pistons or the two simultaneously accordingly as one or both of the valves M are opened. When the pistons are in the positions shown in Fig. 3 and it isdesired to rotate the shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow, the piston rods from the high pressure pistons being on one crank pin and the piston rods from the low pressure pistons being on the other pin, the initial pressure to start the pistons must be on a piston or pistons whose crank pin is beyond a dead center and on the side of the center to give the right direction to the shaft. In Fig. 3 the vapor is discharged direct upon the high pressure piston on the left hand side first but the valves f and 9 being in communication with each other the vapor passes onto the low pressure piston to start the shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow. Then if the valve M on the right hand side is opened, the vapor on that side is discharged direct upon the high pressure piston. In this way the engine is started. Once started in this way valves M may be closed if desired or they may be left open just as the engineer may see fit, as the vaporin any event comes from the same source and is applied upon the same piston.

A few details will now be described which contribute largely to the success of the engine and which at the same time might be varied or even omitted without materially changing the machine. First, the valve G. This valve is provided with a reinforcing band N which performs three functions. It serves as ahearing, it strengthens the valve and it closes the supply port. Another detail in connection with the valve consists in the joint formed between the valve and its stem. The valve is provided with a transverse slot or in one end and the valve stem has a corresponding lug n on the end which is adapted to [it and enter the slot whereby the valve and stem are locked together and the formeris turned by the latter after the manner of a screw driver driving a screw. Consider next the manner of connecting the pistons and piston rods together. The piston heads are provided with inwardly projecting hollow bosses O O, and a rod P passes through these hollow bosses and through the sleeve Q to connect the sleeve to the piston head. The sleeve in turn is connected to the piston rod. Packing rings 0, o are placed in the annular recess 19 formed around the piston head as shown.

An alcohol pump R is located in position to be operated by the engine and an oil pump is also provided for supplying oil to the burner (not shown). It may be added in this con nection that the burner and a generator to which the alcohol is fed are described in a concurrently pending application and henceno further reference is made to them here.

Having'fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vapor engine, the combination with a high and low pressure cylinder, and pistons therein, of a valve box, a rock valve therein, by-passes leading into the high and low press ure cylinders and valves in the by-passes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vapor engine, the combination with two high and low pressure engines radiating from a common center, pistons in said cylinders, a common crank shaft and piston rods extending from both high pressure pistons to one crank pin and from both low pressure pistons to another crank pin, of valve boxes, a rock valve in each of said boxes, and valve rods extending from said rock valves to the crank shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a vapor engine, the combination with high and low pressure cylinders arranged in two pairs radiating from a common center, pistons in said cylinders, a crank shaft, and piston rods extendingfrom the pistons to the crank shaft, of a rock valve, ports therein, ports leading into the several cylinders from this valve, by-passes, and valves in said bypasses, substantially as set forth.

at. In areversing engine, the combination of the crank shaft, a main valve, an eccentric axially movable upon the crank shaft for operating the main valve, a reciprocating screw between the eccentric and shaft and concentric with the latter and having upon its free end a series of collars for changing the lead of the eccentric, and a movable hand operated rack working in connection with the collars for moving the screw whereby said collars may rotate while meshing withthe rack and the same leverage with great movement of the screw is secured.

5. In an engine the combination of two pairs of cylinders arranged at an angle to each other and each pair consisting of a high pressure cylinder and a low pressure cylinder, and a single valve for each pair of cylinders, a crank shaft common to both pairs of cylinders, and a single valve mechanism connecting said shaft with both valves.

6. In an engine, the combination of high and low pressure cylinders in pairs and said pairs of cylinders being arranged at an angle to each other, a common crank shaft, a separate valve for each pair of cylinders, valve mechanism from the crank shaft to both valves consisting of a single movable eccentric on the crank shaft and separate connections between each valve and eccentric, and hand controlled devices for shifting the eccentric axially upon its shaft for changing the lead of the two valves simultaneously to reverse the engine.

7. A base or bed frame closed on the bottom and open on the top and having two oblique bearing surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, in combination with two pairs of cylinders one pair secured upon each of the oblique bearing surfaces so that the two pairs of cylinders are at an angle to each other, a crank shaft journaled in bearings in the base or bed frame and having two cranks, pistons in said cylinders, and connecting rods for the cranks, and in which a piston of each pair of cylinders is connected to a single crank and valve mechanism for the several cylinders and operated from the crank shaft.

8. In a vapor engine, the combination of two pairs of high and low pressure cylinders and pistons arranged at an angle to each other, with a valve box extending across the outer heads of the two cylinders of each pair, and a separate rockvalve operating in each of said boxes to control the passage of vapor to and from the cylinders of each pair and from the high to the low pressure cylinder of each pair, a common crank shaft, and valve mechanism from said shaft to the two rock valves whereby the vapor is admitted to'and exhausted from each cylinder at a different time.

9. In a vapor engine the combination with a high and low pressure cylinder, pistons therefor, a valve box extending transversely across the outer heads ofthe cylinders and integral with said heads, ports leading from the valve box into the cylinders and to the exhaust, and a valve fitted to the interior of the box having a longitudinal groove and bearing faces and adapted to rock therein axiallya distance sufficient to cause said groove to alternately include the two steam ports or port of the low pressure cylinder and exhaust ports in pairs.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK w. OFELDT.

Witnesses:

C. HOWARD SLATER, OscaR G. LUNDAUER. 

